Author Nicole MacDonald | Fantasy Blog & Writing Updates

Killing Your Darlings (And Why It’s Necessary)

A reflection on writing stakes, emotional balance, and why letting beloved characters suffer — or die — is sometimes essential to make a story truly matter.

Creating Worlds Is Exhausting—Why I Welcome AI as a Creative Tool

A reflection on worldbuilding, creative exhaustion, and how using AI as a supportive tool can make building rich fictional worlds more sustainable without replacing the writer’s imagination.

When Is a Book Actually Finished?

A reflection on the freedom and tension of indie writing, and how knowing when to stop revising can be just as important as knowing how to improve a book.

The Rewrite That Required More Honesty Than Courage

A reflection on rewriting with honesty rather than fear, and how letting go of people-pleasing transformed both the story and the writer behind it.

Method Writing: What Living Taught Me That Writing Couldn’t

A reflection on method writing, and how first-hand experience taught me things research alone never could when writing action, training, and movement.

Borrowed Souls: What Real People Taught Me About Writing Characters

A reflection on character development, and how observing real people helped me write more nuanced, believable characters — and why real life is only ever the starting point.